


Where Pain's Path Leads

by FurudeKami



Series: Fire Emblem Collection [2]
Category: Fire Emblem Echoes: Mou Hitori no Eiyuu Ou | Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia, Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Blood and Violence, Character Death, Developing Relationship, Flashbacks, Ghost Python (Fire Emblem), Human Trafficking, M/M, Modern Royalty, Not Canon Compliant, Original Character(s), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Out of Character, Past Character Death, Rescue Missions, Reunions, Sexual Humor
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-23
Updated: 2020-02-23
Packaged: 2020-09-24 23:30:37
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 13
Words: 16,877
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20366905
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FurudeKami/pseuds/FurudeKami
Summary: They've been hurt in ways they can't contain, can't heal from, and now all they want is revenge.All they could see was red.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Me, jumping onto the newly growing bandwagon of making good and level Fire Emblem characters feral from pain and horribly scarring situations? More likely than you think.

All they could see was red.

All that they could hear were screams, metal clashing against metal, resounding booms of guns and bombs, and the bodies that collapsed to the unforgiving earth in rising numbers.

All they could smell was blood, gunpowder, and the adrenaline, terror, and primal rage in the air.

They tore through their foes without mercy, painting the world around them in a deep crimson as they charged after those who stand in their way, like predators hunting their prey. No one could escape their wrath, their feral vengeance and pain that could take down a whole army with ease.

The Aureate Cervus and the Ruby Viper are undefeated warlords, painting a path of red and gold in their wake.


	2. Chapter 2

Rain poured down onto the land, struggling to wash away the stains of the battle that had just come to a close. All but two of the hundreds upon hundreds of bodies within the confines of the forested scenery lay still as stone, unmoving and mangled. The two that remained had gotten comfortably seated atop men of larger builds than their own, as relaxed as one could be in such a situation, as they retrieved some food from their packs and began to eat.

“Some battle, eh Viper?” A calm and casual tone came from the golden-clad man as he moved some hair away from his face before taking a bite of a small sandwich.

“It was quite a workout, yes.” The other replied quietly, taking a bite of his own sandwich and chewing absentmindedly as he thought about what he was going to say next. "Cervus, how long must these people continue on?"

Cervus gave the other man a questioning hum and raised a brow.

"What do you mean?"

"These people continue on to cause so much chaos, do so many bad things, only to meet the same cruel and horrifying fate as all the rest the moment you and I arrive. They're all but puppets of the world and this cruel survival game it forces us all to play, waiting to be taken out by you and I when they've had a bit too much fun. And honestly... we're no different, are we?"

Cervus looks at Viper for a long moment, letting those words sink in before letting out a sigh and putting his head down.

"...Y'know, I... I don't really think we're any different, no."

* * *

"Hoooi, g'job fellas! That was a real bloodbath, but ye got the ol' twats killed dead fer us! 'Ere's that ol' reward, just as promised!"

Cervus and Viper took the hefty sum of money they were owed with a silent nod of thanks. They turned around and made their way out of the darkness of the tavern with a wave of acknowledgement when the men inside all gave their thanks and farewells, and their reminders of job opportunities. The light of day shone down bright on them as they made their way to their car, and stored the money inside before getting in to make the drive back home.

* * *

Cervus and Viper spent more mild summer nights outside, just looking at the sky and talking with each other.

The two walked across the softness of the grass and flowers as they made their way to one of their favorite spots, a large tree a ways away from their home. They reached their destination, and looked up at the leaves rustling from the slight breeze with small smiles.

"Would you like some help climbing, Cervus?"

"Wh-_no_, I can do it!" Cervus pouted and crossed his arms, "...I think..."

Viper only laughed and offered Cervus a hand, which he took hesitantly to be led up to the tree. He allowed himself to be hoisted up onto Viper's shoulders, careful to make his way up with assistance from the man below him. He grabbed a sturdy branch, and managed to hoist himself up with little trouble. He watched Viper leap and climb up in no time at all, and looked away with another pout and cross of his arms once Viper made himself comfortable.

"Why the long face, friend? Don't want to admit you have difficulties?" Viper said with amusement.

"Oh shut it, it's nothin'. I'll get over it when I get more practice in and get better at it."

Cervus sighed and leaned his head on Viper's shoulder, the two losing themselves in the view of the sky above them. They let themselves dwell on their memories, thinking back to better days and the people from times long gone.

"...Viper?"

He hummed in question and looked down at Cervus, noticing a deep look of emotion in those emerald eyes he couldn't quite place.

"Are... Are they at peace now? Are we... did we mess up?"

Cervus fell silent, trying to catch himself before he let the tears in his eyes fall. Viper's eyes widened a bit, not noticing his own had begun to water before long.

"Cervus," he said softly, pulling the other man into a hug, "things will be alright. We can only move forward, and try our best to overcome any and all obstacles in our way."

Cervus let out a shaky breath, and Viper sniffled before continuing.

"I refuse to lie and say that they would be perfectly fine with what we have become, but... they knew, and they understood these sorts of things, so they wouldn't hold it against us entirely. Wherever they are now, I too hope that their presence continues to shine down upon us, and their love never falters as ours for them has only gotten stronger."

Cervus could no longer hold back, and a choked sob escaped him. The two held each other tighter as they cried, unable to escape this pain and sadness that plagued them.

"I-I don't want 'em to be gone... I don't wanna live without 'em... _I miss you too much Dimitri!!_"

This was all too much. It was terrifying to feel all of these emotions attacking their senses at once, unrelenting no matter how much the two sobbed out, begging for it all to end. This lasted long into the night, Cervus and Viper never once loosening their hold on each other until the constant waves of overwhelming agony had subsided.


	3. Chapter 3

The dawn's light shone through the slightly parted curtains, with soft songs from the birds and crickets that wandered about. Cervus opened his eyes slowly, taking in a deep breath as he sat up and stretched. He leaned over and checked the time, and frowned at how early he had risen.

"It's only 6:05? Fuck this shit, I wanna go back to bed..."

He covered his face with his hands and groaned.

"But I caaaaaaan't, fuck my liiiiife!"

He forced himself to get out of bed, noting the warmth of the spot next to him still there, though only slightly. Viper hadn't woken up too long ago it seems. He was always an early riser, long before they had even met as well. Cervus had only made it from the bed to the closet a few steps away before noticing the delicious smell that wafted through the air, having him drooling in mere moments. He looked at the closet for a moment before just shrugging and walking out of the bedroom, making his way down the stairs and to the kitchen. Sure enough, there Viper was, finishing preparing two big plates of bacon and waffles for them.

"Oh, good morning Cervus," Viper walked over to a drawer to take out forks and knives for them before walking back over to the table to sit, "I never thought I would ever see you up at this time of your own accord."

"Mn'yeah," Cervus mumbled quietly and rubbed his eyes, making his way over to move his plate and sit next to Viper, "I didn't wanna wake up, but your food smells too good to resist, y'know. We both know how much I love food, especially yours."

Viper smiled softly and thanked him, then the two began to eat in a peaceful silence.

* * *

The breeze was cool against their skin in contrast to the heat of the sun as Cervus and Viper made their way back out to the tree, wanting to spend more time there together.

Cervus attempted to climb up on his own this time, and had even surprised himself when he managed to successfully leap and climb up on the first try by mimicking Viper's usual method. He blushed and waved a hand dismissively when he heard Viper clap and cheer, but he couldn't hide the wide smile that he had from the situation. He scooted over a bit when Viper went to get seated next to him, then moved back in to lean in the other man's shoulder again. He giggled when Viper's hair fell over his face and tickled him, and he blew on it while giving Viper a playful smile.

"This damn emo hair of yours is all...everywhere, Viper." He giggled again when he got a raised brow in response. "Not like I can't adjust, it looks real good on you. Got that 'edgy outside and soft inside' anime husbando style, with the long in the front covering one eye and the shorter length in the back. Though I'll just be real here and say you just look good with any hairstyle you choose, dude."

Viper only rolled his eyes and smiled, shifting a bit to raise a hand to brush some of Cervus's own hair out of his eyes. They looked at each other silently, their expressions soft and affectionate. They stared deeply into each other's eyes, not noticing that they had gradually gotten closer for a moment.

"Can I...?" Cervus asked softly.

Viper only nodded, and they closed their eyes before moving closer once more. The touch of their lips was like a spark from their head to their feet, filling them with emotion once again. They started slow, keeping to gentle pecks as they tried to control themselves. Though this control wore thin, and it wore thin quickly. Cervus moved as close as he could to the other man, their arms wrapping around each other to keep them close. Their movements became more desperate, their tongues dancing about in frenzied battle.

They finally had to pull away, and had forced themselves away with breathless gasps. They refused to open their eyes for a while, keeping their foreheads pressed together as they caught their breath.

"Viper I-"

"No, no need to dwell right now." Viper spoke softly, "we mustn't focus on it right now. We need to...go inside and just rest for a bit before we discuss what has just happened."

* * *

The quiet was no longer peaceful, more nerve wracking than it had ever been before as the two men both sat on the sofa and tried to figure this situation out.

"Hey, uh... I'm sorry."

"No need to apologize, we're both just emotionally vulnerable right now is all. It was a moment of weakness."

"Y-yeah, but-" Cervus looked at Viper with worry, trying to keep himself calm as this began to get to him. "I don't wanna just jump and pull something that'll push us away from each other, we've only got each other now. Python and Dimitri aren't...here anymore."

Viper sighed and pulled Cervus into a hug, letting himself smile again when he felt Cervus hesitantly return the gesture gently.

"We'll figure this out. We've got each other, you're absolutely right, and they would have wanted us to try and move on. They made it quite clear how sad it'd make them if we kept dwelling on them and not moving on the best we could while they were alive, did they not?"

Cervus nodded a bit, and he couldn't fight his own smile as he remembered some of the things that they had been told. The more happy memories elicited a soft chuckle from him as he cuddled into Viper's chest.

"You're right. We can just take it slow and figure all this out at our own pace. Hopefully that doesn't mean I can't hug you or cuddle up to you at night like I always have."

"Of course you can still do these things, they make me happy. _You_ make me happy...Claude."

"You make me happy too, Lukas."


	4. Chapter 4

"Hey, Lukas, help me out here, dude! I can't get this thing out of here-AAAAAAH NOOO!"

Lukas winced as he heard the loud crashing of plates and other glass behind the door in front of him, hissing through his teeth quietly when he heard the panicked stuttering and quiet swears of Claude, then the angry tone of a woman yelling at him afterwards.

"Hey! What are you doing in here?!"

"H-hey I didn't mean to! I'm sorry-_shit, not another one oh God oh fuck_-I-I'm sorry, okay?!"

Lukas only sighed and shook his head, crossing his arms and leaning on the wall behind him. He looked up at the sound of footsteps, and saw a nun making her way towards him quickly.

"My goodness, such rudeness of that man! Sir Viper, would you please escort him out of our monastery? A noble with power and influence such as yours could easily put a roguish commoner's behavior straight!"

"Well... I truly apologize, but I have no place of authority over Cervus." Lukas smiled softly at her and stood up straight again to put his arms behind his back, "Cervus is an heir to a throne, so by technicality he has the authority over myself. It is not the other way around, as I'm only a noble with nothing to inherit of as high a merit as he."

The nun looked at Lukas with shock, and he could've sworn he'd heard a few quiet pops from the nun's head as he watched her try to process this information. It was true, Claude didn't act at all as a noble should, nor did he ever seem to take any of the responsibilities seriously at first glance, so Lukas couldn't truly blame anyone around here for thinking he was just some low class punk that was dressed nice because Lukas provided the wardrobe. People in this land acted like they were right out of medieval times, and this proved difficult to adjust to at times for Lukas despite the fact he grew up in such an environment himself. Living in the countryside on the outskirts of a huge and technologically advanced city that was visited regularly for many years will do that to a person.

They were interrupted by the door they stood near slamming open loudly, with Claude hurrying away as best as he could and hugging himself protectively to flee from the nun that had yelled at him. She had a ruler in hand, prepared to swing it at him again as she followed him. She stopped in her tracks as Claude ran over to Lukas, pulling him away from the wall to give Claude enough space to hide behind him and peek out from behind his shoulder. Lukas sighed quietly and frowned when he felt the back of his shirt become wet as the water covering Claude soaked through.

"Cervus."

"Viper?" Claude responded quietly.

Lukas moved forward and turned to give Claude a look of disapproval, then took his hand and led him out of the monastery with a curt nod and apology to the nuns.

* * *

"C'mon Lukas, gimme a break! The person that was on dish washing duty was sick today so I offered to do it instead, but a big plate thing got stuck and I yanked too hard to get it out, and fell backwards after it finally got loose enough to come out of the holder thingy. And the rest was very, _very_ audible history..."

Lukas shook his head with a small smile, and waved a hand dismissively at Claude.

"It's alright, I have a way with words and complete trust and respect among the people around there, and I could very easily take the blunt of the consequence off of you with no trouble."

"Well shit, it's almost like you've got some history of your own at the monastery, mister nobleman." Claude took a big spoonful of the sundae in front of him into his mouth and grinned the best he could at the other man.

Lukas hummed and took a bite of his own sundae, grinning dreamily from the taste of strawberries and vanilla spreading across his tongue pleasantly. "If I may be bluntly honest, most of the 'way with words' part wasn't intentional. Every woman around that has a preference for men just seems to fall all over me in that area, and that's been a thing that has occurred for as long as I can remember. Though with all of these scars riddling my face now, and my current hairstyle, I would have expected the infatuation with my looks to fade..."

Claude laughed loudly, and had to take a moment from starting to cough since he wasn't careful. After his coughing fit slowed and the two had stopped giggling, he wiggled his eyebrows jokingly.

"Well why would there be any less fawning over your good looks if your looks never got any less breathtaking?" He said with a wink.

Lukas blushed and rolled his eyes. "You're just trying to spoil me, friend."

Claude nodded in reply, not even denying the statement at all. He chuckled at how flustered Lukas had become at his straightforward responses.

A wave of familiar warmth and happiness washed over Claude as he took this in, one he hadn't felt in many years. So many, that he had lost count at this point.

_'Hey there Prince Goldilocks, how's the most beautiful and amazing man in the whole wide world doin'~?'_

_'C-Claude, that's-...I-I'm doing well. How are you doing yourself?'_

_'I'm ALWAYS good when YOU'RE here with me, of course! My day's ALWAYS better with some good ol' Dimitri in my life!"_

Claude's smile softened as these memories filled his mind. Where he would normally have to fight back tears, he was at peace for once. He felt things he had missed to the point of literal sickness. He felt fulfilled, satisfied, and relaxed.

He felt happy.


	5. Chapter 5

_"'Ey stud, c'mere for a sec would ya?"_

_Lukas walked over to the sofa and sat down._

_"What is it, Python?"_

_"I uhh...I've been thinkin'. And since shit's goin' down now that we're back in the bullshit fighting again and stuff, I wanted to just get somethin' off my chest."_

_Lukas looked at Python intently, ready to hear every word._

_"I just wanna say, IF this happens. **IF.** **IF** I die somehow, and it's before you do, or you survive like I know you will already, I don't want ya to lose your shit. I don't want you to just stick around, and hope I can be saved and come back for you. I want you to move on the best you can, and find some guy that makes you happy."_

_Lukas's eyes widen at this, but he genuinely took these words to heart as he thought about them. He finally looked back at Python, taking a few minutes to stare down at his hands and go through his thoughts, and he nods._

_"You promise, Lukas?" Python's expression stays serious as he looks at Lukas, never taking his eyes off of the other man. "You promise me that you won't let me hold you back, and that you'll let a good guy rock your world if I go?"_

_Lukas couldn't resist smiling and giggling a bit at that, which brought a smile to Python too._

_"I...I promise, Python. If you fall in battle, I'll try my absolute hardest to move forward and stay strong for you. For us."_

_"That's the spirit, stud!" Python gives him a pat on the shoulder before pulling Lukas in for a tight hug. "And hey. I love you and always will, ya know that? I ain't gonna get all pissy and turn in my grave if you find another guy you love too after I go and you get with him. I'd be happy that you're still going strong like you always have, and aren't holding on to any wild pipedreams and letting it tear you all apart."_

_"I love you too, Python. Forever and always."_

_Lukas moved back a bit, getting Python to loosen his grip and allow Lukas a perfect opportunity to move to give him a gentle kiss._

"_Hoowee, gotta be careful Lukie Boy, can't let the other nobles see you eating a lowly commoner's face~"_

_"Goodness gracious, just use that big mouth of yours to kiss me instead of bringing up such nonsense." Lukas said with a laugh._

_"With pleasure, your great and mighty nobleness. Might even show my devotion in other ways while I'm at it~" Python grinned playfully before he pulled Lukas back in, not letting him go anytime soon._

* * *

Lukas stared up at the ceiling of the bedroom, tears slowly rolling down his scarred cheeks as this exchange echoed through his mind in vivid detail. He jolted when the feather light touch of Claude's hand brushed across his bare chest. He turned to look at Claude, and saw every bit of the concern in those eyes of his. Oddly enough, he didn't even look tired, not even a little bit.

"Are you alright Claude?"

"I should be asking _you_ that." Claude replied calmly, scooting a bit closer to Lukas to rest his head on the other man's shoulder. "Is it just some thinking and remembering stuff?"

Lukas nodded, and sniffled quietly. He rolled over to face Claude, and pulled him close.

"Python had told me he wanted me to move on, and not hold on to him if I found a man I develop feelings for and want to be with. He wanted me to keep on going, and let this good guy 'rock my world' as he said." Lukas said that last bit with a small chuckle and a warm smile.

Claude smiled too.

"Jesus, Python. You were a funny dude." He shook his head and smiled a bit wider from amusement. "But yeah, it's good he so forwardly encouraged that. And uh... speaking of this, is there anyone you might have your eye on? He wanted you to keep on going, and I do too, and I wanna see you happy. Even if it's not with me, and I'd be sure to help you and that lucky guy be happy together."

Lukas raised his eyebrows a bit at this, and hesitated for a moment before moving a hand to lock fingers with Claude.

"I do actually, and I most certainly won't be leaving you in the dust."

The realization of what Lukas meant hit Claude like a brick to the face. Before he knew it, he had to work to control his breathing from how excited he had become. He waited silently, since Lukas looked like he had more to say.

"I would like to try and see where things go with you. If you'd have me."

"Yes I WOULD have you!" Claude said happily, catching Lukas off guard before he let out a joyful laugh at such a reaction.

"Alright, try to calm yourself, we need to start out slow." Lukas ran his fingers through Claude's hair gently, watching how it fell past his shoulders now from how much he had let it grow out, "we may have much history and many years to add to that, but this is very thin ice we're about to attempt to cross, we must keep this in mind."

Claude nodded and took a deep breath, letting it out as a deep sigh as he snuggled up as close to Lukas as he could and closed his eyes. Now that he had found out the root of Lukas's problems, the tiredness had washed over him like a lulling wave, tempting his eyelids to become too heavy to keep open without trouble. He fell asleep quickly, with Lukas petting his hair gently until he too had given in to sleep's warm embrace.


	6. Chapter 6

"Oi fellas, back fer another job, ah?"

Lukas and Claude nodded, and sat at the table as they awaited their options to choose from. The man that always gave them information and paid them their rewards after taking out targets was a very large and burly fellow, packing on quite a lot of muscle but a good amount of fat around his midsection too. He was covered in scars, but not near as many as the sheer number that Lukas and Claude both were riddled with from head to toe. He had the hair color of pale wheat, and his steel blue eyes were bright and joyous. With such an intimidating appearance, those eyes clearly showed this man was chipper and cheery despite expectations. Lukas and Claude enjoyed this man and his personality, but their outward appearance and portrayal of their own personalities to the outside world made it hard to really express this since they both stayed stone-faced and quiet most of the time.

"Let's see what we got right 'ere at the moment, shall we?" The man said as he opened a clearly worn notebook and looked through its remaining pages, other pages torn out each time the tasks written on them were completed. "Ah, I think ye might like this one! A trafficking ring is suspected ta be located within the city 'ere, in them old and abandoned buildings in the plazas on the far outskirts since no one ever touches 'em anymore. Ye both know what I'm talkin' about, right?"

"Yes, I believe so." Lukas said quietly, his tone neutral, "I've driven us out of the city from the south section, and there were buildings all about that looked much like an abandoned older downtown area. This is what you refer to, correct?"

The man nodded, and looked back and forth between that certain notebook page's sides as he went over the information written on it.

"Aye, and this certain ring that's suspected ta be a part of a big' ol' horrible one, full of anyone ye can think of. I kinda thought I noticed over time how protective the both of ye are of everyone and try ta make things equal fer every person, so I was thinkin' this mission would be one ye both can not only finish ta get yer pay, but do a real good thing fer society and yer own moral beliefs while yer at it."

The man grinned wide when he managed to catch the very small smiles Lukas and Claude gave him, barely even there, but they were there nonetheless.

"I accepted the challenge the very moment you mentioned a trafficking ring, honestly." Claude said now, his voice barely less neutral than Lukas's had been, "I'd even go as far as to say I'd happily kill these kinds of viruses of society for free, but I won't ever turn down the pay since this is our job. I'm sure I can speak for Viper too and graciously accept the mission. Are there any notes on this situation to tell us of, and anything we need to do to better ensure success? A stealth mission to make it easier to go in for the kill, perhaps?"

The man hummed as he looked around, spotting a lankier man at the bar sipping on the drink he had just received.

"Oi, Jerieth, over 'ere lad I need ye fer somethin'!"

Jerieth looked over his shoulder at them, and made his way over to lean against the wall behind the man. He peered over to look down at the notebook and read it, and a smirk spread across his face.

"Ah, so you've picked that mission, have ya." Jerieth mused softly. "That one may or may not be difficult, since it's only a hunch of a consistent station for them based on concrete evidence they're located in that there area. We don't really know exactly if they're there all the time, or if it's a place they go to often at all. We don't even know what buildings they go to more than others or what ones are used for these terrible things. We only managed ta get enough information for our mercenaries and assassins ta go by and plan out a basic course of action against this group here. The best bet for you lads is ta just lay low and be on the lookout, observe the habits of those you see there and their every little action. It don't matter what ya do as long as ya don't just jump in for the kill right away, unless ya know everything there's ta know an' not do somethin' too stupid. Sound good a mission still, lads?"

Lukas and Claude nodded again, unable to control the smiles that spread across their faces. Not wide, but clearly sinister if the way their eyes fogged over was any indication of that.


	7. Chapter 7

Lukas and Claude had camped out in the old downtown area of the city the man spoke of, barely even moving for hours on end as they watched and observed every little thing around them. The area was extremely dark, not illuminated by any artificial light whatsoever, and this helped the two blend in much better. They wore fully black outfits with hooded cloaks, with their faces covered by masks and eyes covered by dark glasses in case they were spotted. They had also hidden their hair as well, with Lukas clipping his to the side and Claude pulling his up into a tight bun.

The sound of an approaching vehicle tore through the silence of the area, and they kept themselves hidden to watch and see where this vehicle went. A rickety white van pulled up to the building right in front of them, and they would've rolled their eyes and sighed at how cheesy and stereotypical this was if the mission wasn't keeping their focus strong and their murderous rage constant.

The man driving and a man on the passenger side got out of the van, flashlights in hand as they walked to the sliding doors to open them. It took every single fiber of Lukas and Claude's beings worth of self-control to not just lunge because of what they saw.

Women, children, men, all stuffed in that van and struggling to get out from being crowded inside. All had handcuffs keeping their wrists in front of them as they were all led in a single file line into the building. The man from the passenger seat took a quick look around, and gave the driver a nod.

"They're all here now, let's get 'em all prepped up now that we don't need to wait for anymore hauls, yeah?"

The two men then went inside. Claude could feel the heat coming off of Lukas because of how angry he was at this point, though he himself wasn't any calmer, having to force himself to not just snarl out and charge in.

"Disgraceful, vile, evil, _worthless pieces of shit!_" Lukas growled out quietly as he could, gripping the building they hid behind hard enough to hear the concrete cracking beneath the force.

Claude widened his eyes at this, though only for a second as the rage took over him.

"They're making this too fucking easy for us." Claude said lowly, glaring at the door ahead of them still as he moved out into the open a bit. "Do they even know how to not directly say info out loud or are they new to this? Ballsy move to have such a wide assortment of victims for being newbies at this sort of thing, gotta give 'em that."

Claude pulled out a dagger and slowly walked towards the door, with Lukas right behind him, a dagger of his own drawn and at the ready.

"But they aren't gonna fucking last long enough to let that pride get too over their heads. I don't give a shit about the details or stealth anymore, I just care about saving those people from this."

"Agreed. _Fuck this shit, we're going in and raising Hell from the ashes of this area once we **light it all on fucking fire!**_"

Then, without hesitation, in they went.

* * *

The room all around them was stained in red.

With each stab into a man's throat, the feeling of putting in extra force to cut through bone, The blood and gore that covered their bodies and faces, it only drove Lukas and Claude deeper and deeper into their animalistic killing spree. This place was more heavily guarded than the two thought, but it didn't seem to matter as they tore through the attempts to take them down, both metaphorically and extremely literally.

Claude moved quick, using every opportunity he could to use his much higher speed and agility to both protect Lukas and create distractions for him to go in for the kill. Lukas got a satisfying shot through a man's head in after pulling out his revolver to not risk getting shot for trying to kill this particular one with his blades. They had managed to lower the number enough to cause some very evident struggles for the group once they drew their own guns, the group still trying to go strong despite their protection wasting away by the second. The remaining few of the group slowed their gunfire to a stop, keeping their weapons aimed as Lukas and Claude had come to a halt and had just stood still.

"Who the FUCK are you?! _WHAT_ the fuck are you?!" The leader yelled out angrily, trying to keep his hands steady when they made no sudden movements, "what kind of inhuman monsters are you guys?! Humans can't dodge bullets and keep fighting like that! What demon hole did you two crawl out of to ruin our business?!"

Lukas and Claude only cackled mockingly at them, and their faces were almost dead looking from how all emotion had just faded away from them. Lukas tilted his head, eyes wide and foggy as he took a step forward.

"If we're not human and 'crawled out of demon holes', that would make all of you the farthest from human or from this mortal realm as it gets..." Lukas spoke softly, his voice deep and unwavering as he stared at them.

_ **"...YOU FUCKING TRASH!"** _

There was no time to react. Claude had snagged an SMG from the body at his feet while Lukas had the attention on him, and he didn't waste any time filing everyone with bullets. A few men had lived, but not for long, as the two lunged with blades drawn once again. They didn't spare ANY part of the group's bodies from being stabbed and cut into, the two screaming, laughing, and snarling their rage away with the merciless brutalizing of the people under them.

They stood motionless again as they took in the sight all around them. No person that had come in that room to stop them was really in one piece anymore, either covering the floor in a growing pool of blood, or splattered all over the walls, furniture, and everything in between. They gathered their weapons that had been dropped to keep on the move, snagging a few extra things here and there that they could salvage from the bodies. Claude pulled out his phone to dial a number after removing his ruined gloves, putting the phone up to his ear and walking over to Lukas so he could try and hear too.

""Ey fellas, ye already got leads ta report?" The burly man from the tavern answered the phone with a tone of interest.

"Yeah...leads." Claude's tone had shifted back to the calm he had back at the tavern as he spoke, looking down with a slight wrinkle of his nose at a mangled corpse with no head that he had accidentally stepped on the intestines of while walking around idly. "If an abandoned building covered in the blood and guts of at least 150 dudes at the top of your head just looking at the pile of gore on the floor and everywhere else too, then we've got every lead to ever be had."

They grinned with amusement at the odd noise the man made from shock, and his stutters as he tried to say what he was going to say.

"Wh-I-I wha-wha-... Lads, yer both some bloody lunatics! Ye both could'a got yerselves killed dead too! How the hell'd ye both survive that if the twats had guns on 'em?!"

"Pain serves as the perfect fuel for the already raging inferno of malice we bear. There is many a crazy thing a human being can accomplish when they're lost in themselves, their adrenaline only keeping them going strong longer." Lukas said.

The other line went quiet for a moment.

"Lads..." The man's voice wasn't as chipper as usual, now more relaxed and calm for once, "I... don' really know what ta say 'bout that. Ye both don't deserve none 'o that there pain 'n malice ye speak of, yer both a pair 'a great fellas. Jus' go on 'n get them folks freed and bring 'em all over to the tavern, me and the fellas 'ere'll take it from there 'n get 'em all safe 'n sound, aye?"

"Alright, will do." Lukas and Claude said in unison before Claude hung up.

Claude let out a sigh, and the two looked at each other before preparing to head in to explore further and retrieve everyone inside.

* * *

The rescue mission was a bit difficult, but the lack of any surveillance cameras or the like in these buildings served extremely useful to them. It was hard to try and keep everyone calm, to gain their trust, but in the end they managed it. The man, Jerieth, and the others at the tavern stood outside waiting for them, and assisted in leading everyone inside to get them all settled in. Just as Lukas and Claude turned and began to head out once they had bathed and changed into regular clothing once again, they were stopped by a small voice behind them. They turned back around, looking down at a boy no older than 10, and the twin toddler girls holding onto his shirt.

"U-uh... th-thank you, sirs..." The boy said shyly, shuffling his feet a bit as he looked up at them nervously.

Jerieth and the man both looked at them with surprise as they saw Lukas and Claude's expressions soften. Never before had they seen these two with so gentle and warm a look on their faces, or even a smile as clear as they were now as Lukas and Claude bent down to let the children give them a hug.

"There's no need to thank us, it was our pleasure to be able to help you all out of that terrible situation." Lukas said gently.

"Yeah, people shouldn't be forced into such things, especially children as young as all of you." Claude managed to push back his anger before it rose too much, keeping calm as well as he spoke to the children in his and Lukas's arms. "We're here to help rescue people in trouble. I know it may be scary to think about, but you all did so good trying to keep calm as best as you could during that while we were helping you all out of there. We're so proud of you all."

A sniffle from the boy and twins, and their tightened grip, brought sadness to Lukas and Claude. They got on their knees for more comfort, not pulling away from the children once as they cried softly into the men's shirts. The man and Jerieth watched silently, taking in this scene before them and letting it burn into their memory. They never once thought that Lukas and Claude were capable so showing such affection so easily, and this going on affected them in ways that have shifted their thoughts on Lukas and Claude almost entirely. They knew these two were full of emotion, and were capable of kindness and compassion, but they never would have expected such intensity from them to come about so easily. The cold, quiet, and distant mercenary warlords, the Aureate Cervus and the Ruby Viper, who never once hesitated to tear an enemy of their goals in half with their bare hands... were right here showing a side of them that was the exact opposite of what they usually put out in the world. They already adored Lukas and Claude as people already, and had complete respect for them beyond compare.

And if Jerieth and the man were honest, they somehow managed to adore and respect these two even more now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have never once written such a thing out that this chapter covers, all the violence included, so I tried to make it as short as I could while still giving as much detail as possible since this is for practice. This was a little physically tiring for me to try and think of how to word it all, I won't lie.


	8. Chapter 8

The next day had arrived, and Lukas and Claude had both hurriedly eaten breakfast and gotten dressed and ready for the day before heading back out to the tavern. They wanted to be there as often as they could while everyone they rescued stayed there. Once Lukas pulled in and parked, he and Claude got out and jogged over to the door and walked in. Jerieth and the man were the only two in the room at the moment, looking up with surprise seeing them here out of nowhere.

"Oi! You two look like yer all gathered again after last night! We don't got any jobs at the moment fer ye though, since the other fellas took on the other quicker ones to let the both of ye have time to get that last one all finished up."

"We're not here for missions this time, oddly enough." Claude said as he and Lukas walked forward and looked around. "Where'd everyone go? Are they all doing alright now?"

"Ahh, that's why ya both hurried on over." Jerieth smiled at them warmly, leaning back in his seat as he stretched a bit, "I'm happy ta say that ya both did the right thing taking care of the fuckers in that there situation. We got 'em all safely transported back to their families all last night. We only just now woke up after about an hour or two of sleep."

The look of joy and relief in Lukas and Claude's eyes brought wider smiles to Jerieth and the man's faces, and they offered some time for a leisurely chat instead, which Lukas and Claude accepted.

* * *

"-Yes, and now that we've got all of that out of the way, and you both now know of our less displayed sides, we'd like to know YOURS as well." Lukas said calmly.

"What's that mean, eh?"

"We wanna know your name, big guy." Claude let himself speak and smile casually now, folding his arms behind his head and relaxing as he waited for a response. "You never have told us before, and we never asked in case it would be a breach of confidentiality for whatever reason. Or something like that."

"Oh! That's it? I was thinkin' ye had some deep dark plan fer me!" The man said with a hearty laugh. "But aye, I'll tell ye two, since yer both some fine an' dandy fellas. The name's Louise. Not a name ye'd expect from a big an' scary lookin' ol' fella like me, eh?"

Lukas and Claude only shrugged in response. Louise, huh? It's uncommon to come across a man with a name usually given to women along these lines, but it was nothing too surprising for them. They both didn't hide their amusement when Louise dramatically pretended to be sad about the lack of a more expressive response, and they just shook their heads and smiled when he passionately recited some cheesy poetry to go along with the joke.

"You two have got some hidden names of your own too, don't ya? Can ol' Lou an' I here be graced with a reveal too?"

This was when Lukas and Claude's expressions neutralized again.

"We appreciate the both of you and even see the both of you in the light of a friend, please know this, but that information is unable to be revealed. At least not in the near future. Viper and Cervus are the names we're known by to the world and this must stay as such." Lukas hoped he didn't come off too cold and distant with such a reply, but it was required of him to keep himself and Claude comfortable.

They were relieved when Louise and Jerieth nodded and smiled from understanding, feeling a weight lift off of their shoulders from how well the men took it.

"Eh it's alright with us, ye both got some fine nicknames there picked out fer yerselves. Ye don't ever gotta tell us yer real names if ya don't want to since ye gave us these to work with."

"Thanks you two, we really appreciate it." Claude's expression relaxed again and he smiled fondly at them.


	9. Chapter 9

After the last mission, none had really come up for a while, so Lukas and Claude had plenty of free time and money to keep themselves caught up on their necessities. They took the opportunity to go out and just explore the big mall in the middle of the city, since the two had never been before and were curious about what it had inside. The moment they walked past those automatic doors, their eyes wandered about in awe at the size of everything all around them. They just walked aimlessly for a good while, taking in everything around them.

"Ooooh, lookie lookie, Lukas~" Claude said softly in a teasing tone.

"What is it-"

Lukas looked at the store that Claude was pointing at silently for a moment, then back to Claude with a half-lidded look of disapproval. It was an Adam & Eve.

"...Really, Claude?"

Claude burst out laughing at the look on Lukas's face, and Lukas couldn't stay mad at him seeing how happily Claude had laughed and spoken this whole time. He just sighed and shook his head before crossing his arms and looking Claude up and down.

"Well, I _suppose_ we could go inside and look around if you'd like to find something for yourself. I won't be partaking personally, but I refuse to stop you from finding something enjoyable to keep yourself quiet with." Lukas grinned at the look Claude gave him at that last statement, and had to hold in a chuckle when he got a pout in response.

"Awwww, that's not nice, dude..."

Lukas raised a brow at Claude, keeping that grin on his face as he awaited an answer.

"I mean, it was a joke originally, but I _guess_ I _might_ wanna look for something to...yeah." Claude blushed slightly and put his head down a bit, "l-let's just go in and see what's there, yeah?"

* * *

The visit was more awkward than anything they'd ever experienced together at first, not knowing where to go first in the store, and seeing all of these things in person was an overwhelming thing for them. Lukas was a flustered and blushing mess just by the wording of some of the things he'd seen, and Claude almost covered his face from embarrassment a few times in the more kinky sections. Though as they stayed in longer, they got used to it all. Claude gawked at Lukas when he showed no extreme reactions to an aisle of various dildos out on display, even more so when he saw how Lukas looked closer at a few of them to see what they were made of, the dimensions, and other information.

"Wait wait wait wait. Hold up. I thought you wouldn't be partaking personally. _Why're you looking at those like you wanna buy 'em?_"

"I _did_ say I wasn't going to be partaking personally." Lukas replied casually as he picked out a box with the toy of his choice. "With _you_. Just because I'm demigay and take a long time to be ready for that with my romantic partner, doesn't mean I don't do any of those things on my own. I just do it when I'm the only one in the house."

Claude looked away for a moment, feeling his face heat up at that statement and needing a moment to calm himself.

"B-but that's like... maybe once every few months... when I need to go out alone and do things on my own..."

Lukas nodded in response, and made his way over to the register to pay. Claude shook his head in disbelief as he thought about this.

"_Jesus fucking Christ_ dude, you've got the control of a damned saint compared to my horny ass, I've got some _mad_ respect for that..." Claude mumbled softly to himself as he finally walked over to Lukas, and followed him out of the store emptyhanded.

* * *

It wasn't long before they walked past a store for arts and crafts supplies, and they hurried in excitedly to look through what was in stock. They were almost giddy as they looked at everything around them, and had to try not to just grab too many things and buy it all up. Both had purchased a pencil set for themselves, A set of various fine tip pens, some nice sketchbooks, and Lukas had bought a set of smaller art mannequins.

Then came the walk past a store for video games and computer products, and in they went right away. There, they had bought some cheap cards for Steam, Lukas had managed to come across a pack full of all the expansion packs for The Sims 3 he needed hidden behind other things, and Claude found a cute mousepad with a deer and nature scene on it. Another successful visit.

Next, lunch at the big plaza full of restaurants all around. Both men's stomachs were almost shouting at them by the time they got there, and they were already drooling at how good the smells in the air were. Even Lukas groaned in delight once he began to eat what he had bought for himself, and the trip only got better from there.

* * *

They had spent almost all day at the mall, and managed to get their hands on much more than they thought they could with how much money they brought with them. They drove back home with smiles on their faces, and went inside to put everything they had purchased away before walking back outside to get in the car again, and headed to the park. Going to the park on days with good weather in late afternoon was a fond trip of theirs they enjoyed taking, just walking freely together and enjoying the sights and scents of the flowers all around them.

This particular walk around seemed more special than the others. The feeling of being together like this, their fingers intertwined as they held hands, and the vast area they had all to themselves today made it all feel so much more relaxing, calming, and all the more worth it. They sat under their favorite spot, a pergola covered almost entirely by vines and flowers of many kinds, with Claude leaning his head on Lukas's shoulder, and Lukas resting his head atop Claude's. The atmosphere was so welcoming for them, so accepting of them and their resting underneath the structure. Lukas had almost dazed out from letting the sounds and scents all around him grab his attention, his eyes closed to just take it all in, until he heard Claude say his name softly. By the look of it, Claude had been just as deeply relaxed and focused on his surroundings too, judging by the slight hint of tiredness in his voice.

"Yes, Claude?"

"I dunno if it's too far forward a leap right now, but..." He looked away shyly for a moment, taking a deep breath before he continued, "I wanna... I wanna kiss you again. If that's okay."

Lukas looked at Claude for a few moments as he thought about it. This whole situation and that request wasn't brought about by any unstable emotional states this time, and they were both currently at peace and aware of themselves and what they were doing, so...

"...Yes, I don't mind at all."

Claude's eyes lit up at that answer, and Lukas smiled softly at him. They looked at each other for a few moments, and Claude finally leaned in to gently press their lips together. Their eyes fluttered closed, feeling those same sparks fly at this contact but could keep themselves under control. They stayed at a sweet and soft pace, just letting themselves enjoy the feeling of this moment and the slowness of it all. There was no rush here, no desperation to feel something else that would numb their pain for even just a few seconds. There was nothing but all the time in the world to just take this moment in, with no obstacles to make it complicated for them afterwards. Only this moment for them, and them alone. They finally broke the kiss, and gazed deeply into each other's eyes.

"Thank you, Lukas. I enjoyed that."

"I enjoyed it too, Claude." Lukas whispered before giving him one last peck, then letting out a sigh as he looked around. "I do believe it's getting a bit later, why don't we finish up our walk, then we can head home and spend some time together, then set up to sleep outside since the weather's nice?"

Claude nodded happily, and stood up with Lukas to continue on their path once again.

They looked around with smiles at the animals that wandered about the area, and had even stopped a few times for a moment to pet any dogs or cats that came by and would allow them to do so. It was all going as they hoped for a while, until Claude slowed his pace once he heard the voices of people drawing near. He listened to them closely, and froze when he saw the people they belonged to.

There was a woman, she on the shorter side with long pink hair that was pulled up into a high ponytail, and chatting happily. Her pink eyes were bright and charismatic as she looked at the other two people with her. The next was a man with sharp features, his purple hair moved to rest on his chest, moving his hands up to make sure no strands had gone over his shoulder and behind him constantly as they walked. His purple eyes were sharp as well as he paid close attention to details in the conversation and responded when the time was right. The last was a man much larger than the other two, his golden eyes wide and cheery as he chattered on to the woman just as much as she herself spoke. His hair was wild, a similar shade to his eyes, that reached his neck in length. The wide smile that spread across his face was nearly contagious the more you heard his voice with it, a positive vibe coming off of him in waves.

"Oh my fucking God." Claude said shortly as he stared at the people in the distance, his eyes never once leaving them as he monitored their every move.

"What is it Claude, is everything alright? Do you recognize those people from somewhere?"

Claude only nodded slowly at first, jolting slightly when Lukas put a hand on his shoulder since he was so focused.

"They...Those people are old friends of mine way back when I was the leader of the Golden Deer. They haven't changed much at all since the last time I saw them..."

The woman had been looking around, and paused when Claude came into her view once they had gotten even closer. She put a hand up when she was questioned, staring at Claude with equal intensity. There was something about him that stuck out to her, and she couldn't help but look at him and search for anything that would help her figure out what had caught her eye.

"H-Hey...Hilda."

The moment she heard his voice, her eyes grew wide as saucers.

"I..._Claude?_ Claude, is that you??"

The men looked at him with shock, and Claude nodded. He gave a soft smile to them, and lifted a hand to wave at them a little bit.

"Claude?! Claude, dude, it's been _SO LONG!_" The larger man shouted happily, almost in tears as he ran over and lifted Claude up into a hug.

"H-hey, careful now, I'm all sore from work a few days ago!" Claude chuckled as he leaned forward the best he could to substitute a hug in return, since his arms were pinned against him too tightly to move them. "It really _has_ been a long time huh? I missed you guys so much. It's good to see you're still going strong too, Raphael."

Hilda walked over to him too, and hugged him tight once Raphael had put him down. The other man watched him intently, his eyes searching as he observed silently with his arms crossed.

"You still the stuffy fancypants that was suspicious of my existence that you always were in the past, Lorenz?"

Lorenz let out a huff and looked away. "Well, considering this new look of yours, who wouldn't be?"

"Literally nobody but you has been so suspicious of Claude, Lorenz." Hilda said with slight annoyance, "that's how it's always been, and that's how it always will be. Unless of course you stop treating Claude like some slimy criminal before Hell freezes over."

Claude and Raphael laughed at that joke, and the offended look Lorenz gave Hilda before huffing again with a pout. Raphael looked over at Lukas, who stood quietly in his spot with his hands behind his back as he watched this happen.

"Hey Claude, who's that guy you've got with you there?"

"Oh, this is Lukas." Claude walked back over to him with a smile as he wrapped an arm around him casually. "He's a special someone that I've known and lived with for more years than I can remember."

Lukas looked down and smiled shyly.

"Hello, it's very nice to meet all of you. Claude has told many stories of all of the good times he shared with you, it's wonderful to finally meet the friends he has always spoken so positively of." Lukas's voice was its usual smooth and polite tone as he gave them a nod and a smile he hoped was a relaxed and friendly one.

"Hi there Lukas! I'm glad Claude is still alive and safe, all thanks to you!" Hilda said happily. She looked at Claude again, and she couldn't hide the sadness in her eyes and the watering as she realized how marred with scars Claude had become. "Though I can't help but... wonder what all has gone on. Both of you are covered in scars everywhere..."

Claude's expression fell, and he took in a breath before going over to give Hilda another hug. She hugged him back tightly, and he immediately noticed that she had quietly begun to cry into his shirt.

"Claude, what happened? What happened while you were gone? Why are you scarred, why are you not as bright and chipper like you used to be? _Why_ are you so empty? _WHY_ _do_ _I see so much darkness in your eyes now?_" Hilda's voice was small and shaky, barely above a whisper.

He sighed softly, and shook his head. "Too much to talk about in detail. Too much pain and hurt. Too much darkness and malice. Too much... too much desire for revenge. Desire to avenge Dimitri..."

Hilda, Raphael, and Lorenz looked at Claude with surprise, not at all expecting this from him. They looked at Lukas afterwards, who just looked away from them and closed his eyes.

"Though to be fair, I've always been full to the brim with darkness and anger. I just hid it well until I could turn it against itself and go the civil route out of spite." Claude continued. "But at this point, I've gotten lost in it. Think of how Dimitri turned out in the beginning, but never impulsively raging and attacking people. Just the same amount of wrath overflowing, and even more blood on my hands than that old Dimitri could ever hope to have."

"Claude, what do you mean by that?" Raphael asked sadly.

Claude fell silent, shutting his eyes tight as he continued to hug Hilda tight.

"We've both become mercenaries and assassins after the event that cost us our past... and the ones we loved." Lukas spoke in Claude's place, walking up to the other man and smiling with assurance when he gave Lukas a thankful look, "Claude and I decided to channel our anger and rage into such a job to not harm any innocent people. Our battles we fight, our targets we take out, all of them are comprised of cruel and heartless people who do terrible things and need to be stopped in the most permanent way possible: death. We both singlehandedly took down a group that had captured a large number of innocent people day before yesterday and rescued them all, and ensured they all were taken to a place that was able to keep them safe while they all slowly reunited with their families. We do _those_ kinds of dirty jobs."

Lorenz raised an eyebrow and looked between Claude and Lukas for a moment.

"Well, I've been made aware of such a position, though I never quite thought it was one that existed out of fabricated tales." Lorenz mused calmly, "I won't say I don't believe you, since such a career path is a dangerous one, and it gives an idea as to where your appearances source from. It makes sense now that both of you are so scarred, physically and mentally from what Claude had said."

"W-wait though, if you both do those kinds of jobs, won't it put you guys in danger telling us all this stuff?"

"No, we'll be fine, don't worry about it, Raphael." Claude gave him a soft smile as he finally moved away from Hilda, "Lukas and I are well known, but not by our actual names. Literally no one but people either of us have history with like you guys know our actual names. We don't even go by our real names when signing for things most of the time, either. We only go by our nicknames based on our titles we're known for."

"And what titles are those, if it's okay to ask?" Hilda looked Claude and Lukas up and down curiously, she had calmed herself down and was doing her best to keep track of all of this information.

Claude looked at Lukas, and he gave Claude a nod.

"We're known as the Aureate Cervus and the Red Viper, mercenary warlords who will never hesitate to tear down any and all enemies in the way of our goals, both metaphorically AND literally." Claude grinned and chuckled, "well, that's how other people word it. We just call each other by Cervus and Viper, and so do most people. They either don't know about that big and ornate description, or they don't care since we're not people who just kill to be killing and are the good guys in the cases we need to have long showers to try and clean off all the stuff on us."

"Claude..." Lukas mumbled hesitantly as Claude laughed at the odd looks he'd gotten from how he had worded his statement. "Claude, please try to control yourself and watch what you say, it's been over a decade since you last saw them, and you've changed almost entirely since then..."

Claude paused, and looked between them all with eyebrows raised. He took a moment of silence, eyebrows furrowed as he went through some things in his mind. It really had been a long time, much longer than Claude remembered. 11 or 12 years to be accurate...

"Yeah, that's true, huh..." Claude mumbled softly, his expression softening as more memories of the past came to his mind, "I didn't realize how long it's been anymore, but now that I'm thinking about it again, it's been like... 11 years? 12 years? Something like that. Awww, I just realized I'm almost 35 now too, that's not fun..."

Hilda allowed herself to let out a soft laugh, and smiled happily at Claude again.

"At this point, I'm just happy that you're still alive and as well as you can be, Claude. We've all missed you so much, and so much has changed since you disappeared after that one war a long time ago."

"Then I guess Lukas and I need to find time to meet up with you guys more often and catch up on old times, huh? Maybe make a better impression next time while I'm at it?"

Hilda and Raphael nodded eagerly, and they all took their cellphones out to exchange phone numbers. Lukas looked at the sky, noting the sunset with a smile.

"Claude, it's gotten quite late, I think it's about time we head back home, yes?"

"Yeah, I'd say so." Claude looked back at Hilda, Raphael, and Lorenz with a nod and much more casual wave. "See you guys sometime soon! I'm definitely gonna make a better impression next time and knock you guys right out of your socks with my rougishly handsome charms!"

"Bye Claude! Be sure to eat tons of food to stay big and strong, alright? You too, Lukas!" Raphael waved excitedly as he, Hilda, and Lorenz watched Lukas and Claude walk the other direction, and he smiled brightly again when he heard Claude laugh and agree while waving back at them one last time.

* * *

The stars seemed to sparkle even brighter in the sky that night as Lukas and Claude looked up at them, lying on a big sleeping bag underneath their tree. They held each other close, just looking into the sky and talking idly for hours on end.

_"I'm proud of you, stud."_

Lukas shuffled and opened his eyes a bit; he and Claude had fallen asleep a while ago, and a voice cutting through the silence aside from the sounds of the crickets and the rustling of the leaves on the tree was almost loud to Lukas and had woken him up instantly. He looked up, freezing with wide eyes at what he saw. This almost blurry figure in his view moved to sit down cross-legged by him, and he could only open and close his mouth as he tried to speak. The figure chuckled, a laid-back laugh Lukas had long burned into his memory forever. Tears started to fall, and Lukas smiled the best he could behind his soft crying.

"Th-thank you... Python." Lukas managed to force out through sobs. "Claude and I were... so scared that you and Dimitri would be disappointed in us. In what we've become..."

_"Of course it caught princey and I off guard and we were shaken up for a bit, you guys completely snapped that day. But when you told Claude that we'd get it and understand, you hit the nail right on the head."_ Python said, and laid down next to Lukas, raising a hand to cup Lukas's face gently. To Lukas's surprise and overwhelming joy, he could actually feel Python's touch. It was an odd sensation, managing to be both warm and cold at the same time, and it was even more to try and process when Python went to fix some of Lukas's hair and it had actually moved when Python twirled some around his finger loosely, before letting it fall gently to the side. _"You guys managed to fight through and do what you always did before, and ya used that anger and negativity to fuel good intentions and help people who need it most while takin' out the pieces of shit for good. Now people might say that no person deserves to die for their actions, but with all the shit you and Claude take missions for, and what's goin' on here with me talkin' to you as a **fuckin' ghost** because of dying from bullshit causes, that statement proves itself wrong a thousand times over."_

Lukas nodded in response, unable to speak again as he cried with joy. Python just smiled at him and sighed, moving closer to press their foreheads together. He mumbled quiet words of assurance to Lukas, letting the other man get it all out. He'd been watching Lukas and Claude every moment he could since his death, and he was waiting for any chance he could get to see these two again while being by their side. He wanted so badly to see Lukas again, to talk with him and Lukas actually be able to hear him and respond back, to be able to _feel_ Lukas again. He knew there wasn't a set place to go after death since he wasn't religious, and he had to choose his own path, but now that he had enough power to break free of the confines he had before, he was going to be by Lukas's side as much as he could. He wanted to be there as he watched Lukas and Claude become closer, and finally find their solace in each other. He was beyond happy that Lukas had chosen Claude to be the one he allowed himself to develop feelings for in all honesty, he loved Claude to death and had always thought he was a great guy and a perfect friend for he and Lukas to have been lucky to cross paths with.

_"Hey, Lukas. I wanna tell ya somethin'."_

Lukas hummed in question, opening his eyes to look into Python's the best he could.

_"You've got some great taste in guys to let Claude be the one to take care of you in my stead, y'know that? Dimitri's pretty happy about it too actually. Took a big weight off of us seeing you guys trying together instead of meeting new guys that we'd have to try and learn about as time went on."_

Lukas laughed quietly, and shook his head when Python wiggled his eyebrows with a big grin.

_"So uuuhhh..."_ Python's expression became playful as he spoke,_ "...you gonna let 'im rock your world someday? Do the ol' bedroom tango 'till you can't walk right for a few days~?"_

"Goodness gracious Python, so lewd even in death. I would have figured you wouldn't be so driven by what's in your pants as a spirit, but that wouldn't really be you anymore, would it?" Lukas laughed louder when Python did, but quieted when he felt Claude shuffling in his arms.

He opened his eyes and immediately froze in place, eyebrows raised and his jaw dropped.

_"'Ey there, Claude."_ Python waved lazily and winked at him.

"...Wait. Wait wait wait, hold on!" Claude sat up, looking around frantically then back between Lukas and Python, "Python, if you're here, then where's..."

Python only shrugged, and mumbled something about being 'fashionably late' before rolling over to lay on his back with his hands folded behind his head to look up at the stars. Claude looked around everywhere for a few minutes, hoping to catch sight of Dimitri too if he was lucky.

_"Relax Claude, he'll be here sooner or later. If I have the ability to stick around here without problems now, so could he."_

He was hesitant, but nodded and relaxed against Lukas again, allowing himself to close his eyes and try to sleep once more. Python was right, he knew that. Dimitri was extremely strong _and_ strong-willed, and if he had the chance to be with Claude and Lukas in this life again for any length of time, he would jump at the chance to do so the very moment he could. Maybe he was just preparing himself or something. Whatever the case, Claude would wait for him. This was a gift to them already, having Python here with them again.


	10. Chapter 10 (Flashback)

“Dimitri! _DIMITRI!_”

Claude’s entire world froze all around him, time slowing to a crawl the moment his eyes met with the sight before him. The leader of the enemy, Dimitri, and a lance in Dimitri’s chest. The scream he let out rang through Claude’s whole being, and Claude’s own scream in response had snapped him out of his trance just enough to run as fast as he could to Dimitri’s side. His sight was blurring, a vignette tunnel vision on his lover that caused even their own allies to literally be thrown out of the way alongside any enemy blocking his path. The enemy leader backed up and ducked just in time as Claude swung an axe he had grabbed during his run without noticing, throwing the weapon right at them as if it were as light as can be.

Claude was visibly shaken up, eyes wide as saucers and breathing ragged, as he cradled Dimitri close. The leader had yanked the lance out, so Dimitri was bleeding out quickly.

“Dimitri, no no no, don’t die on me! Please, try to hang in there! Focus on my face!”

Dimitri tried his hardest, but with breathing getting more difficult by the moment, and the blood he had coughed up that dripped past his chin and only made breathing even harder, he was having trouble keeping himself grounded as the fear and dread built up inside him. He was going to die, and he knew it, but as he took in Claude’s state he realized…

...He wasn’t ready.

“I-I’m...sc-ared…” Dimitri whispered.

Their sense of the world around them faded to nothing, the only things they picked up on anymore were each other. The sounds of Dimitri’s choked and short breaths were loud enough to cut through Claude’s mind, not even hearing his own frantic pants and whines as he gave in to his own fear and dread as well. Dimitri shakily raised his right hand, reaching for Claude’s face. He felt his arm weaken to the point of giving out on him, so he went to weakly clutch at Claude’s sash instead. Seeing the tears that had filled Claude’s eyes was too much for Dimitri to handle in this weakened state, and he too began to softly cry. Tears rolled down his bloodstained cheeks as he looked into Claude’s eyes.

“Dimitri please…don’t leave me…” Claude whimpered softly.

“Cl-...aude. List’n...”

It was surprising to him. The colder his body had become, the more this fear left Dimitri as his blood pooled. He was met with wandering thoughts, desires, promises he had but couldn’t fulfill. He saw Claude’s face in and out of his fading sight, and smiled slightly at how all of his past torments were replaced by one thing.

Love.

“Please don’-...hold on.” Dimitri continued, using every last bit of strength he had left in him to say these last words, no matter how difficult it was to not slur. “Move forw’rd...n’...win. I l-love...you. Would’ve...p’r’posed ev’n…”

“Dimitri Alexandre Baliddyd this is _NOT_ the fucking time to be joking around!” Claude shouted desperately, unable to hold back the tears that fell now.

“I’kn’w...not jokin’. It...g-bye now...Love y’so..much…”

With one last smile, actually noticeable to Claude now, and a few more tears, Dimitri let out one last exhale before falling limp.

“D-Dimitri...Dimitri please. W-wake up. _Wake up Dimitri._” Claude’s voice grew louder as the weight of this situation grew, along with the frantic horror building up. “Dimitri! Dimitri, NO! DON’T FUCKING LEAVE ME! _PLEASE!_”

The scream of agony Claude let out rang through the area around them, echoing through the land and chilling all who had heard him despite the war raging on. He sobbed without restraint, holding his lover close with no indication of letting him go anytime soon. The sound of footsteps in front of him brought awareness of the carnage around him back all too suddenly, his senses overwhelmed from the overload of chaos and red staining the world. His cries and screams halted abruptly as he glared up at the leader of the enemy, and the very cause of this war. The one who had killed his love so mercilessly. He managed to catch pale blue, almost grayish-white eyes through the thin opening of the mask they wore, though other than that, no part of their face was visible whatsoever. He growled loudly, his despair replaced with nothing but rage. He knew in this moment that he would never be the same the moment he yelled, his voice sounding of pure venom and hatred.

“I’ll fucking KILL YOU! I’LL HAVE YOUR EXPOSED HEAD ON THAT LANCE AND DISPLAYED IN MY ROOM AS A TROPHY AFTER I RIP IT STRAIGHT OFF!”

The leader had gripped the lance tight before running off once Claude stood. He held Dimitri close as he hurried through the battlegrounds, his focus currently set on getting the other man's body to safety. He found an ally camp for their healers far outside of the fight, and booked it as quickly as he could inside. Marianne turned quickly, gasping at the sight before her. Claude laid Dimitri down on the mat in front of her as gently as he could, and looked down at the other man’s face. He brushed long and matted locks out of the way, and ran his thumb across paled lips to wipe away as much blood as he could that hadn’t dried already, before bending down to give one more soft kiss to them. He stood, and made his way out of the tent. He paused after taking a step out, not turning to look at Marianne or the other healers.

“He’s long gone. Just clean those wounds up the best you can so he won’t be a mess after this is over. Once you’re done and he’s clean, move him to my tent and lay him on my cot so I can say a final and proper goodbye once we win this.” His voice was smooth, and more blank than any of the people in the healing tent had heard it before.

"I-I...Claude?"

"That's an order, Marianne." 

She flinched slightly at the bluntness Claude had shifted to, but accepted and went to work with cleaning Dimitri up and closing his wounds, and Claude ran back to the fight with no other acknowledgement to them.

* * *

All Claude could see was red.

All he could hear were the sounds of the frightened voices of the enemy troops and his own cackles as he mercilessly torn them to shreds. Any unfortunate ally that got in Claude's way faced the same treatment with no remorse. Eventually, the ally troops fell back and kept their distance, at orders Claude hadn't even noticed he'd screamed at them aggressively. They watched with shock as he tore through all foes who went against him, and before long he had killed enough on his own to bring a halt from both sides. He stared them down, eyes wide and void, and a smile from ear to ear, as if the spring of his rationality had been completely destroyed for good.

"Make a fucking move! C'mon, don't be SCARED!" He laughed as he yelled, even going as far as to completely drop his sword and open his arms wide to taunt the enemy.

_"IF YOU WON'T MAKE A MOVE, WE WILL!"_

Claude turned around quickly, a look of shock on his face as he saw a single man charging in, completely soaked in blood from head to toe like Claude had become. He grinned wide again and grabbed his sword to follow suit as Lukas ran past him, and the two went to work mowing the enemy down once again. The leader motioned for a retreat, and this didn't discourage the two men in the slightest.

If anything, it made this game of tag even more exciting for them.

They were completely lost in this feeling of bloodlust, laughing and screaming themselves hoarse as they spilled blood. Very few were left alongside the leader once Claude and Lukas lost interest in chasing them and risking their lungs further torment, and the two stilled. They looked down at the ground for what felt like forever, before looking at each other blankly.

"We won." Claude said softly.

"Indeed. Let us return to our camp, and...mourn our losses."

Claude gave Lukas a slightly confused look before nodding, and the two returned to their troops and return to their camp to recover.

* * *

All the men and women who hadn't required emergency medical attention by the healers were outside in front of a large bonfire, cheering and talking happily as they celebrated their victory with a feast. Claude and Lukas, however, were spending their time elsewhere.

Claude walked back into his tent, slowly pushing the fold of the tent's entrance to the side, but froze at what he saw. There, by Dimitri, lay Python. His heart sank at the sight of Python also having wounds tended to; a large and dark gash across his throat, on his left eye, and a deep stab wound in his chest, all dark red with the appearance of huge scabs thanks to the healing work Marianne and a few others had managed to make them look as clean as possible after bathing them. Claude turned around when he heard noises behind him, and gave a look of sadness to Lukas as he limped up to the tent slowly, the activities from earlier finally showing the toll they had taken on his body as he struggled to move very quickly. But that expression changed to one of surprise as he noticed the bandage wrapped around to cover Lukas's own left eye. Claude hadn't even noticed that Lukas had an injury there during the events that had taken place earlier it seems.

"Lukas, I'm so sorry..."

"N-no, don't be." Lukas spoke quietly, barely able to control the tremble in his voice as he looked past Claude into the tent, "I'm...I will be fine. Python will be fine now, too. He protected me. He sacrificed himself for me. I'm eternally thankful, but at the same time I-..."

He stopped before he couldn't control himself anymore, and sniffled as he and Claude went into the tent fully. They sat down next to Dimitri and Python, both moving a hand from their position folded and resting atop their lovers' chests, and held them gently. This continued for hours, Claude and Lukas silently holding the hands of Dimitri and Python, and crying quietly.

They got no sleep that night, continuing to hold the hands of the men they held so dearly as long as possible.

Because after this, they wouldn't have another chance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, for the first time ever, I actually teared up and cried a teeny tiny bit writing the end of this flashback chapter. Flashbacks that aren't the main focus of the chapter itself will be in italics like previously seen, while chapters that consist of memories and things pertaining to past events will be as regular story chapters, and not italicized. I'll be labeling those chapters to prevent any possible confusion, just in case.


	11. Chapter 11

"Claude! Wake up, Claude!"

Claude awoke with a gasp and shout, tears rolling down his face as he looked around quickly. He looked up at Lukas for a moment, before hugging him tight and sobbing into his shirt. Lukas held him close, petting his hair gently and saying soft words of assurance as he gently rocked them back and forth.

"It's alright, Claude, just let it out, everything will be alright now." Lukas mumbled into Claude's hair before giving him a soft kiss atop his head. "I'm here, I'm right here."

Before long, Claude had managed to gather himself as he focused on Lukas's voice, and was reduced to quiet sniffles and shaky breathing as he calmed down slowly but surely. He looked at Lukas again after a bit, and smiled softly.

"Thank you, Lukas." He whispered before leaning up to give Lukas a quick and soft kiss.

_"Hey, you okay now?"_ Python softly asked with concern as he moved over to sit by Lukas, giving Claude a worried look. _"Was it a nightmare?"_

Claude only nodded, and took a moment before standing up and stretching. "Just a flashback of that day is all. I'll...be better soon. Thank you guys, truly."

Lukas and Python gave each other a worried look before looking back up at Claude and nodding in response. Then, they too stood, and the sleeping bag and pillows were gathered up to be taken inside.

* * *

After that, things had indeed gotten better, and things were back to normal before long. Claude had been lurking in the kitchen and watching as Lukas prepared them a big breakfast, and had been gently scolded a few times for trying to snag some bites of things here and there before the whole meal was finished and plated. Python watched this with a smile, unable to get over how much relief and happiness he felt that these two were so well off together. It put him completely at ease that Lukas was even relaxed enough with Claude to not once be worried about any acts of affection with Python around again, and it made him confident that the two would move right along just fine if he had to go again.

Though, that's a definite _if_, based on how he even managed to get here again in the first place, and have enough power to manifest a form that could interact with things and had become more like he was there with them as a living person the longer he stayed around them. The only differences now in appearance were the softness to his figure that surrounded him, and a glow that was so faint that it couldn't really be noticed the more the sun rose and lit everything up around them.

"Hey Python, I've got a question."

Python opened his eyes and looked up from his seat on the sofa. _"Yeah? What's up, Claude?"_

"How..." Claude paused, and walked over to take a seat next to Python before continuing. "How did you manage to get here? What allowed you to travel back and forth from elsewhere back to here so freely?"

Python grinned and looked to the side.

_"Weeeelll, I kindaaaa...intercepted a ritual some nutty zealots were doing, and they granted ME eternal power to roam and access to the living realm freely again, instead of the weird god they were trying to summon and grant it to. Told Princey about it, and how they had no plans of stopping until they summoned their fake god, and he's waiting for the next time they do it so he can intervene and get access as well. From what I can sense with these new ghostie powers of mine, he's already managed to get here."_

Claude's eyes lit up and he grinned wide, letting out a happy gasp as he bounced in his seat a little bit.

"I'm sorry, you did _what?_"

Python and Claude both instinctively winced at the calm but stern tone Lukas had as he walked into the room, his spatula in one hand and his other hand resting on his hip.

_"U-uh, well y'see I uh-"_

"No need to repeat yourself, Python." Lukas said, "I'm just wondering what had brought you to do such..._risky_ things is all."

He had to try his hardest to not grin wide at how Python and Claude had jolted with quiet gasps once he moved his other hand from hip, and let the metal of the spatula meet it with a loud _SMACK_ that echoed through the room.

"H-hey now Lukas," Claude put his hands up in defense as he spoke nervously, "Python didn't get hurt or anything, and he's here with us again, _AND_ he can use his senses just fine! It was a _GOOD_ risk! R-..._right..?_"

The silence as Lukas's eye bore deep into the men's very cores was nearly stifling, causing nervousness to rise in the air around them as they watched Lukas closely. Finally, after what felt like forever, Lukas's expression became truly relaxed, and he casually raised a brow and returned his free hand to his hip with a quick nod.

"I suppose you're right. Python no longer has the types of limits you and I do, since we're still alive and have to worry about our physical bodies."

The tenseness in the air lifted so suddenly, Claude and Python almost thought they may float away from how light they felt. Lukas let himself smile slightly as Claude and Python both let out loud sighs of relief, and let themselves relax against the sofa with a drop of their shoulders.

_"Holy shit stud, even after all that's happened over the years, and how dark and brooding you became, you still have that terrifying housewife type stuff down."_ Python let out a chuckle, and turned his head to grin at Claude with a wink. _"And you've got the reflexes to react to it down too, so I'd say the both of ya are all set if the big day ever comes around. Stud's got the cooking skills, the nurturing and softness to small things, the scary intimidation from even harmless household objects, and the brain cell. And you've got the reflexes and reactions to said nurturing and scary intimidation with household objects, the lack of a filter and the wit for jokes, and the desire to share the brain cell once in a while, Claude."_

"But I DO have a brain cell of my own, c'mon man. Like...out of all three houses _I_ was the one with the brain cell and _everyone_ with their own brain cells to spare knows that..."

Claude crossed his arms and pouted, but was unable to hide his small smile when that got a chuckle from Python and Lukas. His smile grew wider as Lukas walked over to give him a quick hug.

"It's alright Claude, I know you've always had a brain cell. But everyone _also_ knows that I have more than one I can use at once." Lukas said sweetly.

The noise of surprise from Claude as he leaned back to look at Lukas with wide eyes made Python laugh loudly, and the big and mischievous grin on Lukas's face and the way he narrowed his eye only made it harder to contain.

This feeling... It was so refreshing. It was invigorating. It was bright, sweet, and full of light. This pure joy that washed over Claude and Lukas was all too much to try and process and analyze at once, so just letting themselves bask in it without question would have to suffice.

Not like they minded such a thing.


	12. Chapter 12

The sunlight was almost blinding, the colors of the world all too bright at once compared to the dull monochrome that he had adjusted to when he wasn’t met with a pure black void.

He raised a hand, and with the sensation of adrenaline coursing through him, he could see it was barely transparent. He had no glow unless in a very dark place, and his form had no blurriness to it.

For the first time in too many years to remember, a soft smile of pure joy and contentment spread across his face. It only grew wider when his hair had gotten into his eyes despite the itch, and he used that hand he raised up to brush it out of the way.

Hair a beautiful blonde, gently blowing about in the soft breeze. Piercing blue eyes took everything in with more joy than he could comprehend.

_ “...I’m...back…” _

He took a step, and his breathing grew quicker when he heard the sound of the plant life underneath him shifting from the weight.

_ “I’m back...” _

He kept walking, only becoming more and more giddy as he went. The feeling of the wind across his face, the sounds of his heavy steps in the grass and flowers, the sight of a wonderland of color and light all around him.

_ “I’m back. I’m back, I’m back, I’m back.” _

His pace grew quicker, and he paused to look up. In front of him stood a large tree. The familiarity of this tree that filled him despite seeing it for the first time drove him to continue his jog on the path he had been on before. He paused again once another thing that stood out came into his view.

A single house. A place that, once his eyes set on it, called to him. Called to him to run to it. And so, he did.

_ “I’m back, I’m back, I’m back.” _

The closer he got, the less he could contain his excitement any longer.

_“I’m back!”_ He’d now yelled and laughed joyously as he kept to his run. _“I’m back! I’m back! I’m back! I’m baaaaaaack!”_

* * *

Claude had been sitting on the sofa by himself as Lukas showed Python around the house, and something made Claude go on the alert.

Did he… hear someone yelling outside?

He stood and walked over to the front door. He turned the knob, and opened it slowly, to let himself hear a bit more before going out. He had heard right, that was indeed someone yelling. They sounded really happy though, Claude knew that much. He’d closed the door and stepped further out onto the porch to look around, but he didn’t have to look long before spotting the source of so much noise.

The moment he saw that source, his entire world froze.

They slowed a bit when they gasped loudly, but that pace only got faster than before after that as they let out a loud mix of a laugh and a yell.

_ “Claaaaaaaaaude! It’s you! It’s REALLY YOU!” _

He could only stand in his spot for a bit, trembling as the realization hit him slowly but surely.

“Wh-...Wha…?”

That voice, the one Claude held dear deep in his heart, was shouting his name. Over and over again, that voice’s repetition only grew louder and louder. He hadn’t even noticed when it had happened, but before long Claude had been running right to that voice. Tears blurred his vision and made his eyes burn, but he didn’t dare stop. He didn’t dare stop until he had collided, and wrapped his arms tightly around what he’d been running to.

His broken sobs brought him back to reality again, and he only grew louder as he felt a hand rest on the back of his head gently, and long hair fall forward on top of his head and that hand. Only one word would come out of his mouth for a while, one he never thought he’d say in such a context again.

“Dimitri...Dimitri..._Dimitri…!_”

_ “I’m here now, I’m finally here.” _

So much joy, so much happiness, so much of everything he’d thought he’d lost forever came flooding back to him, and Claude could only keep crying. He’d been able to mix a few laughs in once in a while, but aside from that, crying was all he really knew how to do.

It’d taken a while, but eventually Claude had finally cried out all the tears he’d had pushed down. He’d still been snuggled up close to the warmth he clung to, and he looked up to see those eyes he’d longed for for so long.

“Dimitri…I’m so happy...” Claude said softly.

_“I’m so happy, too.”_ Dimitri replied, just as soft.

They both knew they’d longed for each other, but neither truly realized how desperately they had, until they moved in to meet in a kiss. They were needy, rushed, and full of nothing but pure love and desire as they moved in a messy battle for dominance. The fact that they could feel every bit of this only made them more desperate as they both panted and whined into each other's mouths.

* * *

“And here we have the-”

_“Wait a minute.”_ Python said and raised a hand up. _“Sorry for interrupting you, but I just picked up on something.”_

Lukas waited silently, watching the other with curiosity as he looked around.

_ “I think… I think Dimitri’s finally here.” _

And with that, Python led Lukas out of the room to head to the front door, cutting the tour short. They’d only just gotten outside and closed the door when something… surprising caught their eye.

There, now on their knees in the grass, sat Dimitri and Claude, still embracing tight and deep into their kiss. Though by now they’d grown less rough, and had slowed to a good rhythm.

It was odd. Where Python didn’t seem to be bothered, instead rather surprised at the sight, Lukas… didn’t like this at all. He _hated_ it, even. Seeing Claude so intense in his acts of affection to someone else sent shockwave after shockwave of nothing but anger and pure jealousy through Lukas’s being. He hated seeing this. He hated seeing Claude happier with someone else. Someone else but him. Him, and only him, that should be enough!

“_Ahem._”

The two jolted, and broke the kiss to look behind them. It fell silent after, with Lukas watching them, and Claude feeling more and more ashamed as he saw just how unhappy the look in that deep ruby eye was.

“H-hey, Lukas.” Claude said, his voice small. “I-I was just… How long have you b-”

“Whole time.” He replied shortly, trying to hide the bite in his tone with barely any success. “If you’re done with your acts of… _welcoming him back_… come back inside so we can get lunch made.”

Claude looked down and nodded silently, and pulled away from the embrace to stand and walk up to the porch. Dimitri stayed in his place, trying to piece together what was happening. Only when Lukas looked at him and motioned for him to follow did he stand and make his way up too, and follow the other three inside.


	13. Chapter 13

_Don't leave me..._

He stared at the pictures that covered the small room from floor to ceiling, eye completely void of anything but the fear and desperation that threatened to spill out.

_Don't leave me..._

He reached a shaky hand up to trace the outlines of the face of the one he loves most, the one who was taken from him in such a cruel way.

_Don't leave me, please, don't leave me alone..._

"I can't go on alone..."

The tears flowed, blurring his vision as he quietly sobbed out.

"Don't leave me... You can't leave me... I can't live without you by my side..."

Lukas couldn't stop the tears from flowing as he continued to look at Python's smile, so genuine for only him. The smile that he'd never see again outside of photos from times long gone. The smile that helped keep him so grounded, that kept his madness and darkness at bay.

He was at a loss. He'd lost all hope in life that day. After that moment, nothing terrified him more than solitude.

Until Claude held his hand out to him.

They stuck together. They took each other's hands after that war, and they ran. They destroyed all evidence of themselves and started anew, leaving their old lives behind. They never left each other's side. They always stuck together, no matter what. They entered their new lives as mercenaries together, and did every single mission together that they could. They paved their new path of red and gold out of blood and pure malice, and a thirst for revenge that couldn't be surpassed, together.

They were together. They had each other. They weren't truly alone. The fear of solitude wasn't there.

Lukas had a new light in life. He had Claude. He could finally feel safe opening himself up again. Opening his heart, the very thing he thought had gruesomely died that day, too.

But _he_ was back to take it all away.

"You won't take him from me."

A knife, blade shining from the light of the sun, held in Lukas' hand as he looked back in the main room at the three who sat on the sofa and conversed to attempt to clear the tenseness of the air between them.

"I'll kill you a second time if I have to."

* * *

"Hey, Lukas..."

"What."

Claude winced at the bluntness of that tone, and took a moment before sitting down next to Lukas on the porch, looking up at the stars that painted the night sky.

"I'm sorry. I gave in to my impulses."

"Hm. At least you're honest. I'll give you that much."

"I'll try harder. I told you I wanted to see where things went with you, and I meant it. I won't do something like that again."

Lukas only scoffed and looked down at the butterfly knife he'd been holding, casually tossing it up in the air and caught it with no worries of being nicked by the blade.

"Your words mean nothing to me. Prove your sincerity with your actions."

"I will, I promise. Tomorrow I'm gonna set some new boundaries with Dimitri so nothing happens again, okay?"

That got Lukas to look over at Claude, right into those piercing emerald eyes to search him. He was frail, but he was no pushover when it came to keeping his word, so in that case...

"You have one last chance after this. After these boundaries are set, you'd best stick to them or we're done forever."

Claude smiled and nodded.

"I will. Don't worry."


End file.
